The Grey
by mysticxf
Summary: Kate confronts Jack about the real reason he didn’t want her to come along on the hikes.


Lost belongs too JJ Abrams, Bad Robot and The Others. Borrowing for fun. Need the confrontation after 'The Hunting Party' between Jack and Kate. Kate confronts Jack about the real reason he didn't want her to come along on the hikes.

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Lost – The Grey  
By Mystic  
January 24th 2006

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"Hey!" Kate caught up to him in a hurry, her feet falling over each other in the thick sand as he quickened his pace to get away from her. Away from her and the camp and back towards the hatch. She knew it wasn't his shift. She watched him turn quickly, his eyes darting over her almost as though she were repulsive. It struck her hard, making her jerk slightly. She was used to it, just not from him.

He lifted a hand, then let it drop at his side and huffed, "Kate, I don't have time…"

"The hell you don't!" She spat, catching up with a few swift steps.

They were in the jungle now. Heading further and further in, away from the hatch, the caves, the beach, to a spot all by themselves. They'd both known it was coming. Jack had been dancing around her, and she'd been avoiding him. But he knew she was watching him. Seeing him slip away to have chats with Ana Lucia. She'd heard inklings of his ideas from those he'd spoken to. Making an army against The Others.

Kate grabbed his arm and he whipped around, pulling himself easily from her grasp and she grunted, losing her balance momentarily. She stared up at him, her chest heaving with the efforts it took to cross the beach before he disappeared again.

"What?" He shook his head slightly, his eyes widened for just a second. Just enough to let her know he was annoyed. He didn't have time for this. He didn't want to make time for it. Jack didn't want to listen to her. He was tired of listening to her, but she didn't care. She'd crossed lines in the past and they'd mended their wounds. He'd forgiven her.

Kate bit her top lip, her mind racing through everything she'd thought to say to him. Every single word that vanished the moment she had his attention. "I'm tired of you giving me the runaround about this Jack, we need to talk."

"Talk about what?" He did another head shake and she found herself annoyed now. He was giving her that look, the one that told her he thought she was being insane and overdramatic, which made him look insane and overdramatic. Any other subject and she might have found herself laughing, but it just made her angrier.

Kate nodded to the left and responded calmly, "The other day."

His eyes shifted, finding the trees above his head. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Oh really. You're doing quite a bit of talking to everyone else." She crossed her arms, her head falling slightly to the side as she stared at him with narrowed eyes.

His head snapped back down and he lips pressed tightly together. "You stalking me?"

"No."

"That a lie? You seem to be doing a lot of sneaking around lately." Now he was smiling. His breath quickening just a little.

"What? What are you talking about?" Kate could see the frustration on his face. In the veins that were starting to bulge slightly. She was used to them. They were a good gauge on anyone. But she didn't care if she pushed this time. Wouldn't even care if he hit her. She almost wanted it. Wanted something.

"Just saying," Jack said with a shrug. "Where there's smoke, there's fire."

She let her arms drop to her sides and she lowered her eyebrows curiously. "What's that supposed to mean, Jack?"

He stepped closer to her and she held her ground, feeling the heat from his body radiating out onto her. Almost like the flames of a fire late at night when it was already hot. When you just wanted to run into the ocean. "Kate, I asked you to stay behind, look after the button." He stabbed his right forefinger into the palm of his left hand.

"Yeah, because you don't trust me with a gun." Her words were quick and she watched the way his eyes shifted. Softened slightly. That wasn't the reason.

He looked away from her a moment, then smiled. "Give me one good reason to."

Kate sniffed lightly, her bottom lip pressed tight between her teeth. She couldn't really. But she didn't really have a good reason to trust him either. Other than her gut told her to. "So, you have a good reason to trust Ana? She shot Shannon."

"She made a mistake." Jack pointed out quickly.

"I made a mistake. Why is it so different?" Her eyes creasing, as though in pain. She could just be jealous. She'd questioned herself on that several times in the last twenty four hours. She saw Jack walk out of the jungle with the other woman and it made her heart pound harder than it ever had on the run. But it was more than that.

Ana was a total stranger. And Jack trusted Ana more than her, after all they'd been through. Maybe, she thought, because of what they'd been through. Kate knew she'd screwed up plenty of times, but she thought maybe she'd had enough good deeds to balance it to a point where he could forgive her. She watched him consider a moment and then shake his head.

"Because," he said, sounding much like her father used to when he told her she was grounded. She hated that answer. But Jack shook his head and continued. "Because you knew better. Because you promised you'd have my back and you've done nothing but go behind it since the day you made that promise."

She jerked away again, feeling stung. Kate hated when people wanted things to be black and white. No middle ground. No grey. Maybe things were like that in his world, back wherever his world was. Things were concrete. People made decisions and didn't go back on them. People didn't change their minds. Didn't see things differently with new information. She balled a fist at her side and let it loosen before telling him, "Maybe you're making some bone-headed decisions, Jack."

"That what you think?" He spat quickly.

Kate noticed he hadn't backed away from her. He remained far too close for comfort and she watched his pulse through a vein on his neck. "Yeah, take Sawyer off into the jungle. With a bullet wound. Still healing. You think that's a better idea than taking me?"

"I was trying to protect you," he hissed, his face coming closer to hers, his eyes breaking into that look of sorrow and pain she hated so much. The one that made her want to cry because she thought he might. The one that said she'd hurt him and she didn't know how she'd hurt him so badly.

They lingered, staring at one another on the verge of tears for a moment and then Kate finally shouted, "From what? She turned on her heel, taking a few steps away from him, feeling cooler air rush into her lungs and through her body. Kate spread her arms out as she turned, watching him. "From what?" She asked again.

He let his head fall to the side slightly and he pressed his lips together and shook his head, telling her in a sigh, "From getting hurt."

"Lot of good that did," she managed to huff.

"And whose fault is that?" He screamed at her and she flinched.

"Yours." Kate watched his face contort at her accusation. His eyebrows furrowed together and he bared his teeth a moment, making her take the smallest of steps away from him. Almost afraid of him. Kate had never been afraid of Jack.

"Mine!" He shouted, giving her a nod.

Kate nodded back, feeling her heart breaking little by little. "You want me to stay behind to protect me. Who are you to tell me what to do. I'm Not Your Wife!"

Jack laughed softly and responded, "No, you're not." His shoulders shrugged once, quickly in defeat.

"Then stop pretending I am!" She watched him turn slowly, watched a sadness sweep over his face and he nodded towards her. She thought he said something, saw his lips move quickly to form a word, but it was gone, lost as he turned away from her and left. He took the path towards the beach, towards the part of the beach no one went. Kate knew where he was going and she let him go.

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Finis 


End file.
